ACLU History: Accommodations for People with Disabilities

The ACLU fought many years for passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The Act prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, public services, accommodations, transportation and technology, and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to ensure that disabled workers can perform their jobs. Chai Feldblum, a former ACLU legislative counsel, was a principal author of, and advocate for, the original ADA, in conjunction with the disability and civil rights communities. In the more than two decades since its passage, however, the Supreme Court has slowly chipped away at the ADA's core protections. The ACLU is currently lobbying for the restoration of key provisions of the Act, and continues to litigate and advocate on behalf of people with disabilities.